Your Official Portland Party Portal

Wow, there’s a lot of stuff going on in Portland next week! Barista Nation, SCAA Symposium, SCAA Event, 2012 World Aeropress Championship, 2012 US Tasters Competition, and 2012 United States Barista Championship are all only a few short days away. Portland will be teeming with some of the brightest and best coffee professionals in the world, and we all know that coffee professionals love to party. We’ve combed through official announcements, press releases, Facebook pages, unsolicited tweets, and Myspace events to bring you the most complete listing of parties that are happening this week. If we’ve missed your party,drop us a lineand we’ll add it.

Keep this number handy - (503) 227-1212 – that’s a direct connection to Radio Cab, Portland’s half-century old jewel of a car service, with affordable rates, quirky drivers, and 24 hour service.

We’re looking forward to the entire program at for Portland’s Barista Nation event. UNIC is premiering its Stella di Caffe DCL Dial Machine, Richard Sandlin from Fair Trade USA will MCing the Latte Art Throwdown. There’s a $5 buy in, with all proceeds go to CARE. The grand prize is a Macap Grinder. There will be meatball sliders and UNIC is sponsoring an open bar. Woohoo!

Imbibe and Roast Magazine are throwing an invite-only party at Spirit of 77, which is definitely going to be party central all week long. Expect top-shelf imbibables from some of Portland’s top bartenders and a curated menu from Spirit’s capable kitchen.

If you feel like enjoying a low-key quintessentially Portland affair, head over to the Southeast Belmont neighborhood to watch some shreddage from a couple of Stumptown employee bands. MSG, barista Tim Wenzel’s stage name, is an act that’s not to be missed: cassette tape backing band, low-fi keyboards and songs that come deep from within Wenzel’s brain juices. He only performs live as MSG twice a year, so this is a rare treat. There’s sure to be some tasty coffee around, and maybe they’ll save us a date bar?

Copy and pasteboard: “A block party and fundraiser for Portland Global Initiatives and Global Brigades, COFFEELANDIA will be at 7 p.m. in front of Portland Roasting’s headquarters at 340 SE 7th Avenue, just a half mile from the Oregon Convention Center. Proceeds from the suggested $10 entrance donation will go toward water stewardship projects in Honduras.”

Sprudge.com and The Red E are proud to present the best DJ in Portland, DJ Beyonda, who will spin her legendary soul set for a late-night evening of dancing and debauchery. Belly up to the bar and order some drink specials, including a spiked Red E Tiki punch, or the “Sprudge”, a beer-and-whiskey combo priced for the traveling barista’s budget. This is a night for dancing, and we’re going to dance dance dance.

Intelligentsia, Chemex, La Marzocco, Caffe Ladro, Verve Coffee Roasters, Marco and notNeutral are throwing a big shabangalanga on Saturday night at the Clubroom at the Leftbank Annex, just blocks from Conventionland. There will be small bites from Phresh, beer from Upright, and a special delivery of brew from Chicago notables Three Floyds.

* To make sure you’re granted entry, obtain one of 700 wristbands that will be distributed by the seven sponsors for the event. If you need help sneaking in, talk to us.

Copy and pasteboard: “Come hang out with the Roasters Guild on Saturday night during the 24th Annual SCAA Event! Grab a bite to eat and a drink at this great venue and get connected with the members and friends of the Roasters Guild. You won’t find a better way or a crazier bunch to relax with and unwind after a long day at the Event.”

Copy and pasteboard: “Speakeasy is hosted by the American Barista & Coffee School, Water Avenue Coffee, The Oregon Bartenders Guild and Barista Exchange. We will be throwing a Speakeasy party featuring local spirits and libations, as well as signature cocktails from Portland’s top bartenders. Must have invite to get in, or print this event from Facebook.”

The final shindig, the party where historically baristas take off all there clothes and get nasty. Julia Barber will surely be tweeting at 3 that morning with regrettable shots of former barista champions doing all sorts of homoerotic things. Get ready.